Turkey Dreams & Saturday Dinner: A Polish Proverb
When a turkey dreams too much about Sunday, the results are not ideal. Let’s look at a Polish proverb about the dangers of living too much in the future.
Indyk myślał o niedzieli, a w sobotę łeb mu ścięli.
Polish Proverb
The turkey was thinking about Sunday, but on Saturday they cut his head off.
What does this mean? According to the WSJP (a reputable Polish dictionary), the idea is that future events can prevent the realization of your plans. People use the expression to warn someone from speaking with too much confidence about the future.
In the proverb, the turkey dreams about what he will do on Sunday, but Saturday dinner (or early preparation for Sunday dinner) interferes with his intentions. The closest English equivalent would be: “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch!”
We can also interpret this proverb as a call to live in the present. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. The only moment you can control is now, so focus on how you can make today the fulfillment of your dreams.
Like this proverb? Do you know of something similar in other languages? Let me know in the comments! And keep exploring fun proverbs and idioms in Language Tidbits.
Background photo credit: Tyler Donaghy on Unsplash
No better time than now in the midst of this pandemic to be reminded to live for the moment and enjoy each day! Thank you for posting these – I enjoy learning about proverbs from other countries!
I am glad you enjoy the proverbs, Rachel! And yes, the pandemic has been a wake-up call in many ways